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In Not for Broadcast, you play as a newly promoted (under interesting circumstances) newsroom editor that's put in charge of breaking down local news segments and packaging them for the public. This involves choosing camera angles, picking which advertisements to air and even changing the tone of the broadcast. You do all this from a centralized news room and while this may sound easy, it's presented in a very dynamic way in the game. It requires your constant attention and the game can grade harshly. You also have scenes outside the studio dealing with your family but those bits are mostly through text. Gameplay can be stressful but I found it to be such an interesting change of pace and I can't trumpet how engaging the game can be if you play it properly. Not for Broadcast can be difficult for sure but I was glued to the screen.

The story of Not for Broadcast is also quite ambitious and isn't afraid to pull punches. You start with a country in turmoil and there's a huge change as the result of an election. You play a central role in how the fallout of this choice is shown to the public with conflicting forces trying to either bribe or bully you into showing what they think the populace should be allowed to see. Not for Broadcast can light and fun but if you're paying attention, it can be downright frightening. Propaganda isn't a laughing matter and when you see the parallels to how things work in real life, it can be quite sobering when you see the pot boiling slowly.

I can only imagine how long the script for this game was and I can only picture that it would have been challenging for the cast. But the actors and actresses pulled it off with aplomb overall and I want to credit them for their work, especially our 2 anchors. Paul Baverstock and especially Andrea Valls are fantastic as Jeremy Donaldson and Megan Wolfe respectively. They run the emotional gauntlet from scene to scene and they're integral to selling the game's slowing raising stakes. It's all fun and games until it's decidedly not and without them the game wouldn't have worked. I liked George Vere (especially in the DLC) as arrogant and disheveled reporter Patrick Bannon and Claire Rackyleft and Roger Alborough are good as government leaders Julia Salisbury and Peter Clement. Their characters could have benefited from sharper characterization but the actors got the job done.

While Not For Broadcast has a lot to say, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the game is gut-bustingly funny at points. I do think there is a lot of well written satire that's subversive and impressive but there are some scenes that I was rolling on my couch. I want to credit the writers for being able to keep the tone light when the player chooses to frame it that way. My personal favourite is the "Mr. Bear" song, I have a weakness for that kind of thing (children's programming that shockingly tells it like it is instead of sanitizing it) but I was dying laughing all the same and there's a lot of fun stuff in Not For Broadcast if your sense of humour matches the game's sensibilities.

Despite being a huge fan of this game, I have to do my due diligence and mention the few negatives. The first is that this game was obviously made on a tighter budget than some. The production value on this isn't high (in some ways it's fitting as the game centres around a local news production) and while that shouldn't be the sole marker of quality, it is noticeable. The non broadcast room sections stand out the most. The next is that there is a tonal inconsistency. The game does require some suspension of disbelief as things get really dark but some of the comedic segments are about as broad as it gets. This is partially determined by player choice but it is there as well. Neither aspect detracted from my experience but it could annoy some gamers.

I've said in many other of my reviews that my favourite kind of experience is a really pleasant surprise. Not For Broadcast can be really silly and frequently hilarious if you choose to play it that way but by the end of the game, I was in awe of how conflicted I felt about the ending I got (the game has several potential endings depending on which direction you choose to go) and how deep the message of the game was (how easily propaganda can be used to manipulate the populace). Editing the broadcast never grew stale for me and while the humour may be too broad for some and the overall arc may be too unbelievable for a percentage of the audience, I didn't feel that way at all. This is a gem of a game and while I'd rate it between an 8.5 and a 9, I'm rounding up. I would love a sequel, I don't know how they would continue the story but I'd be open to it regardless. I don't think it's going to be for everyone but it hit hard for me and I have no problem endorsing it to anyone that's interested.

I'm going to echo a lot of other reviewers on other platforms in that the best part of Wavetale is the traversal mechanic. If Wavetale was a longer and more intense game, it could have used a fast travel system but maneuvering Sigrid around this world was engaging and zipping through each location kept things interesting. Sigrid moves fast and using various parts of each small island or debris to launch her didn't get old for me. Wavetale is short but with elements like that included, it helped make the time I spent with it more enjoyable.

Moving on to Wavetale's story, it's another part of the game that's surprisingly well done. I never felt like getting emotional or even really upset at Sigrid's plight but the overall arc of the plot follows most of the praise I'm going to bring up in favour of the game. It's understated but effective and even sweet. Sigrid lives in on a small island with a lighthouse in the remote and troubled Strandville. She's been raised by her grandmother and one day a mysterious and dark force named the gloom starts overtaking many of the locations scattered around the ocean and Sigfrid is visited by a shadow that allows her to walk on water and she takes up the fight to eliminate the gloom and deal with the varied residents of Strandville who have good intentions but more often hinder her rather than help. I'd also like to say that the voice acting is good across the board. It isn't a primary focus of the game but it's worth noting all the same.

Lastly, the thing that might grab your attention when viewing the marketing material for Wavetale is that the game has a different visual style. It isn't always up to the task with the game's frame rate often dropping and I did have a couple of issues with the game lagging and/or freezing but it makes the game distinct and I think the cartoonish style makes Wavetale more endearing. The character animations are cute and the animation overall contributes to the bouncy tone the game is going for.

It's been nothing but praise so far but I do have a couple of negatives to bring up. Firstly, there isn't much variety in the gameplay which won't bother some but may others. Combat is largely trivial, there's minimal side content and the gameplay doesn't evolve much over the course of the game. It's simple overall and that will either be your thing or it won't. I also have to point out how short the game is for the price they're charging. Wavetale's campaign can be between 4-6 hours but as short as 3. The regular price point is $38.99 and I can't recommend the game at that cost. I like it plenty but don't buy it at full price, there's just not enough there.

Wavetale is the definition of an enjoyably cozy game for me. There aren't many negatives and if you can get it at the right price (I got it on heavy discount), I think you'll enjoy it. I'd give it a 7.5/10 but I'm rounding down due to the high price to content ratio. If it's on sale and you're interested, give it a shot as long as you're okay with the tradeoff.

If you're interested in something more dramatic or if you're looking for a serious murder mystery, Uncle Marcus probably won't scratch that itch. While the game is ultimately a mystery, it's also equally a comedy and I think it works on that level. I wouldn't describe the game as subtle or sophisticated in trying to elicit laughs, the humour is deliberately broad but I found myself laughing consistently at this ridiculously dysfunctional family and it never bothered me or interrupted my enjoyment of the game overall.

FMV games are more reliant on the acting from the performers and luckily for Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? The cast is up to the task. Andy Buckley and Abigail Hardingham get the most screen time respectively as Uncle Marcus and our protagonist Abby. Both are good provided you take the tone into consideration, I think Hardingham was suitably constrained as the buttoned-up Abby and Buckley is setting the tone as the shady Marcus. My favourite performance came from Georgia Small as the vapid socialite Lottie but I have to tip my hat to the entire cast. They're all really going for it and I'd prefer someone overdo it instead of phoning it in. Who Pressed Mute would have collapsed in on itself if the cast weren't game and I think they definitely got the job done.

The game is structured as a murder mystery being investigated over a group zoom call and I think there's enough there to keep the player involved and the intrigue of Marcus' potential killer alive. The game encourages more than one playthrough and if I had a chief criticism of Who Pressed Mute, it's that actually accusing one of the family requires a surprising amount of work. We are Abby, the quiet and unassuming member of the family and we're tasked by Uncle Marcus (who claims he's been poisoned) at rooting out his potential killer during Felicity's birthday Zoom call. You choose who to spend time with over each segment of the game and collect evidence through their gossip. You cannot point the finger until a requisite amount of evidence is collected and this isn't a given. You have to ask the right questions or you'll be left empty handed. As much as I enjoyed this game, it can be difficult for a game that comes across as being breezy and light. I could see players getting frustrated with the duality of a game that's clearly not taking itself too seriously but featuring a strict pass or fail mechanic. You may have to repeat the game a few times over (the evidence you collect carries over from the previous playthrough) and that might not be everyone's cup of tea.

I'll admit I may be grading Who Pressed Mute a little lax but I picked the game up on a heavy sale and I got a surprising amount of enjoyment out of my playthrough. I wanted to figure out the mystery, I laughed throughout and the game mechanics were fresh enough to keep me engaged. I'd actually grade it as a 7.5/10 but I'm rounding up. Low expectations probably helped but I do think this is a better-than-expected game and I stand by that. I played this game alone but I think it would be entertaining to play in a group and have a few more voices in the room in trying to figure out Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus.